Frogs evolved to be more scared after mongooses came to their island

The Amami tip-nosed frog is a battle-worn survivor of an invasion of mongooses on its island home. The mongooses left their mark on the species, leaving the frogs more skittish towards potential threats.

Small Indian mongooses (Herpestes auropunctatus) were introduced to Japan’s Amami Island in 1979 to control the island’s rat and pit viper populations. A handful spread out from a single starting point, eventually multiplying to 6000 individuals and infiltrating much of the forested island. They preyed on – and dramatically reduced – populations of native wildlife like the Amami tip-nosed frog (Odorrana amamiensis). …